Local fire departments face big budget deficits in 2010

Local fire departments are strapped for cash and county commissioners say the amount the departments need is more than the county can provide. Most fire departments actually bring in enough through fund-raising and MSBU assessments to pay for day to day operations like their fuel, mortgage payments and electric bills but state and federal requirements are forcing the departments to come up with even more money every year. In total our five volunteer fire departments, not including the departments in Apalachicola and Carrabelle, say they are facing a 1.1 million dollar budget deficit next year. Alligator Point alone says it needs 650 thousand dollars because it is required to purchase a ladder truck and build a new fire station to house it. The ladder truck is required because of the number of tall homes which have been built in their district. Eastpoint’s deficit is 102 thousand dollars because it needs to replace a fire truck and even Dog Island needs an extra 82 thousand dollars for a brush truck. And all of the departments are facing higher costs for increased training, insurance, protective equipment, safety inspections and communications costs. County commissioners did help the situation somewhat this year by increasing MSBU assessments on property owners, but those assessments can’t keep up with the ever increasing requirements being put on fire departments. Fire fighters last week asked that the county and fire departments begin meeting to consider ways to address the financial problems. Commissioners, however, said they are basically powerless to help. The county had to cut its own budget substantially this year and doesn’t have excess funds to give to fire departments, certainly not over a million dollars. The commission said that most of the fire departments troubles are because of unfunded mandates from the state and federal governments and since they mandated it they should help pay for it. The board said the first step should be for the fire departments to attend the legislative delegation hearing in Apalachicola on November the 30th and talk to our legislators face to face. The legislature has already said it is not taking local budget requests this year but commissioners said it can’t hurt to ask. They also said the fire departments are going to have to look for more state and federal grants to help pay for some of these new mandates.

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